There has been a lot of controversy about consuming caffeine while pregnant. Some say not to have it all, some say that it’s fine and others say to limit the amount. The reason: 2 studies in 2008 found results that linked caffeine to miscarriages early in pregnancy. There have been other studies that state that caffeine does not cause miscarriages. According the March of Dimes, … Continue reading Pregnancy and Caffeine
There are many ways to show love besides the obvious. Here are some ways spouses show love in everyday situations: Cook’s an occasional dinner and does clean-up Takes care of the children in the morning so mom/dad can sleep Takes the children to a friend’s house to have a quiet dinner at home Does the food shopping and puts the groceries away Takes care of … Continue reading Keeping the Flame Alive!
Choose your fights. Ask yourself if the issue at hand is worth the argument. If not, drop the issue. Have family conferences where joint decisions can be made. Discuss with your teen what the consequences should be for breaking any family rules. A great opportunity to communicate with your teenager is when you are alone in the car. There isn’t any glaring eye contact; there are … Continue reading Tips from Moms on Teenagers
When disciplining children because they’ve said something hurtful or mistreated their siblings or friends–tell them the next two things they do or say must be something NICE towards that person. Run out of BUBBLEBATH? Try baby shampoo Another bathtime idea–let children ear bathing suits and blow bubbles in the bathtubs for DAYTIME BATH FUN. To sort various family activities on the calendar, us a DIFFERENT COLOR PEN for … Continue reading This Works for Me!
The “cold” is actually caused by a virus. The virus is transmitted in two ways: contact with infected hands or objects particles floating in the air How can you reduce the number and severity of colds? Keep your stress level down. Increased stress has been associated with increased colds and symptoms. Always was hands throughly and frequently with soap and warm water. (It is important … Continue reading The Common Cold!
Some people have stated that adolescence is like “the two’s” all over again. Well, just like two years olds, preteens and teenagers are seeking ways to become independent from their parents and through this new emotions and feelings emerge. The decisions our teens make during these few years have a direct effect on the rest of their life. So, as parents the best thing we can do … Continue reading Adolescence
Freeze mini bagels for the teething baby to gnaw on. The coldness of the bagel feels good on their gums and it is soft enough that when melted they can eat it! (Jenn Rakowski) Put the pacifier in the freezer, so that it is cold when they want it. Your fingers Frozen bananas What did you do to help with teething babies? Continue reading This Works for Me: Teething
Having trouble with children eating vegetables? Try blending squash/zucchini/carrots in with spaghetti sauce (use less water, add veggies after browning meat). Another Vegetable idea for carrots is to cut them with a crinkle cutter–makes children think they were made especially for them! Add a little Spice to your coffee! Try adding 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cinnamon/nutmeg/vanilla directly into auto-drip coffee basket for some “spice-au-lait.” Save on gourmet coffee … Continue reading Kitchen Kapers
If you know my family, then you know that every Christmas Eve, for as long as I can remember, we have celebrated the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Growing up we never really got to all seven fishes, but now with my brother (the chef) we always have seven fishes! Bacala, anchovies and smelts are what my mom grew up with. Now we may have … Continue reading Feast of the Seven Fishes
At the age of seven, my oldest son asked me to settle an argument in which he claimed the Easter Bunny was not real. I told him he was correct. A few minutes later he came back asking, “Does that mean that Santa Claus isn’t real either?” When I answered positively, he couldn’t believe that all those present really came from us (after all, we … Continue reading Moms to Moms: Dealing with the Santa Question
ART with Angela DiCicco, The Italian Grandmama's Guide 